The present invention relates to a blade for ice skates, and, more particularly, to a blade which can be partially embedded in a supporting body of plastic material that is, in turn, affixed to a shoe for skating.
In the use of ice skates, each blade and its support are constantly subjected to pressures that depend in severity upon the particular activity for which the skates are used. The pressures are particularly severe, for example, when the skates are used for ice hockey.
The resulting pressures have an adverse effect on the supporting body of each skate, particularly in the connection of the support body and the blade. To realize a suitable blade-support combination, it is necessary to select an appropriate plastic material for the support, and, in particular, an appropriate anchorage of the blade to the support.
In one prior art technique for attempting to realize an anchorage that can withstand rough treatment, a support body had been molded directly over the blade, with a plurality of transverse links between the blade and the support. For that purpose, the blade is provided, along a side that is embedded in the support, with a number of transverse holes of various forms and more or less regular distribution. The dimensions of the holes are chosen to facilitate the flow of fluid or semi-fluid plastic material that forms the desired links when the plastic becomes cold.
In another prior art technique for attempting to achieve a suitable anchorage, the upper edge of the blade that is embedded in the support is provided with a plurality of protuberances, each essentially in the form of a "T" with wings parallel to the edge to form passages. These serve to provide transverse links that correspond to those provided by the holes mentioned above. This last technique, using "T" wings provides better anchorage between the blade and the support body than does the use of apertures alone.
Both techniques, however, present a technical difficulty not heretofore overcome. Considering the high temperatures used during the molding of the support, the shrinkage of the selected plastic material during cooling, and the presence of transverse links realized in corresponding positions at opposite extremities of the blade, internal stresses are produced which are localized near the blade or passages of the blade. As a consequence during use of skates that are produced in a conventional way relatively minor pressures can cause the formation of cracks that can rapidly lead to a fracture.